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TRI Data - EPCRA

The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act was enacted by Congress in 1986 to help communities protect public health, safety, and the environment from chemical hazards.

A provision of the act requires that the EPA maintain a database of information on the amount of chemicals used or produced by industry that are released into the air, land or water. The database is known as the Toxics Release Inventory.

In 1997, the EPA expanded reporting to include electric utilities that use coal or oil to generate electricity. The first report was filed in June 1999 for 1998 releases. Of the more than 650 substances on the reporting list, about 20 are released or produced as a result of coal or oil combustion.

Element

Air Releases (lbs)

Land Releases (lbs)

Water Releases (lbs)

Off-Site Transfers (lbs)

Total Releases (lbs)

Ammonia

872,797

0

9,836

11,000

893,633

Chlorine in Water

0

0

0

0

0

Hydrazine

0

0

0

0

0

Hydrochloric acid

11,776,000

NA

NA

NA

11,776,000

Hydrogen fluoride

1,519,700

NA

NA

NA

1,519,700

Sulfuric acid

3,165,800

NA

NA

NA

3,165,800

Antimony Compounds

0

0

0

0

0

Arsenic Compounds

3,280

356,302

3,998

1,300

364,880

Barium Compounds

35,443

13,973,811

59,945

480,002

14,549,201

Beryllium Compounds

87

9,300

0

0

9,387

Chromium Compounds

4,344

480,142

5,698

47,005

537,189

Cobalt Compounds

1,038

162,111

30

0

163,179

Copper Compounds

3,743

720,571

47,340

0

771,654

Lead Compounds

3,197.6

254,209.3

19.0

26,399.4

283,825.3

Manganese Compounds

7,583

1,201,386

26,035

79,000

1,314,004

Mercury Compounds

2,944.4

2,935.6

0

143.2

6023.2

Nickel Compounds

4,500

431,604

9,490

0

445,594

Selenium Compounds

14,600

20,500

3,511

0

38,611

Thallium Compounds

89

105,000

0

0

105,089

Vanadium Compounds

5,670

1,173,222

787

94,000

1,273,679

Zinc Compounds

13,840

662,616

6,984

63,000

746,440

Benzo(g,h,i)perylene

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Naphthalene

481

0

0

0

481

Styrene

0

0

0

0

0

Dioxin and Dioxin-like Compounds*

6.2082

0.0

0.0

0.0

6.2082

Polycyclic aromatic compounds

3.3

0

0

0

3.3

Glycol Ethers

0

0

0

0

0

Propylene

0

0

0

0

0

Methyl Methacrylate

16,000

0

0

0

16,000

Formic Acid

0

40,000

0

0

40,000

Total by Media (Reportable)

17,451,147

19,593,710

173,673

801,850

Total for All Media (Reportable)

38,020,379

Note: Chart updated May 2014 - using data from 2013 TRI report.

Putting Risk into Perspective

While the EPCRA requires reporting of releases—important information the public should have—these numbers by themselves do not represent risk factors. More on risk »

Many of the "releases" utilities report are actually kept on the plant site. On average, at Southern Company system plants, more than 95 percent of the substances classified as metals—such as nickel and zinc—are contained on-site. Additionally, on average, 25 percent of "total releases" are actually captured using control equipment and do not escape from our plant sites.

The vast majority of releases listed as "air releases" are the acid aerosols, which are dispersed gradually over time from our plants and often dissipate in the atmosphere within minutes or hours once they leave the stacks. At the highest concentrations, the acid aerosols are less than one part per billion, or one part of acid aerosol per billion parts of air. The majority of the other releases, which are classified as metals, are contained on our plant sites and are identified as "land or water releases." Of the metals that are released into the air—also done so gradually over time—the concentration is well below one part per trillion.